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Watsonville
May 12, 2025

Construction begins on oft-delayed 144-unit housing project in Watsonville

hillcrest homes groundbreaking
WATSONVILLE—Watsonville’s newest residential development broke ground on Feb. 17, nearly five years after it was originally approved by the city council. Hillcrest, located off of Ohlone Parkway, will consist of 144 units when fully built out over several phases, including 76 townhomes, 63 duplexes, and...

Victims ID’d in fatal plane crash

watsonville municipal airport
WATSONVILLE—The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Coroner has identified the three victims in a midair collision between two airplanes on Aug. 18 above Watsonville Municipal Airport.  Carl Kruppa, 75, and Nannette Plett-Kruppa, 67, both of Winton, Calif. were aboard the Cessna 340 twin-engine plane, while Stuart...

Pilot program launches to recycle agricultural plastic

A new program launched by the California Marine Sanctuary Foundation (CMSF), ReGen Monterey and Flipping Iron, Inc. is joining a growing effort to recycle more plastic from local farms and ranches. CMSF, an organization aiming to protect California’s coastal ecosystems and communities, conducted an assessment...

‘Reunification’ therapy sparks call for change among teens

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—A Pacific Collegiate School student and her friends are fighting for changes in the law after their friend and her brother were violently removed from their grandmother’s Santa Cruz home in October and taken to an undisclosed site to undergo court-ordered family...

CHP Maximum Enforcement Period begins tonight

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—As people venture out for the Christmas holiday, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) is preparing for a busy travel weekend in Santa Cruz  County.   The CHP will kick off a Maximum Enforcement Period (MEP) beginning at 6:01pm today and will continue through 11:59pm Monday.   During...

Photos: Main Street bridge closed due to flooding concerns

Monterey County Public Works officials close down the Main Street bridge from Watsonville into Pajaro above the Pajaro River Wednesday morning as the possibility of the river breaching rises. Monterey County Supervisor Luis Alejo said that though Pajaro has been under mandatory evacuation orders,...

Cabrillo College receives $3M grant

cabrillo college
Cabrillo College announced Oct. 10 that it is the recipient of a five-year, $3 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE). The Abriendo El Camino: Connecting & Supporting High School Students into Structured College & Career Pathways grant aims to strengthen career...

Crews hope to patch Pajaro River levee breach by end of Monday

pajaro river levee breach flood
PAJARO—A secondary breach of the Pajaro River near the Pacific Ocean Monday has helped relieve pressure from the levee and lower floodwaters in Pajaro. Crews are working 24/7 to make emergency repairs to the primary breach of the levee near Murphy Crossing Road that has...

Watsonville man arrested in Jan. 22 homicide

watsonville police homicide sunnyhills drive
WATSONVILLE—A Watsonville man has been arrested for fatally shooting Armando Saldana on Jan. 22 in an apartment complex on the 200 block of Sunnyhills Drive.  The suspect, 29-year-old Felipe Jimenez, was tracked down by detectives in San Jose and arrested on murder charges Monday night,...

Two face off for North Monterey County seat

Regina Gage Glenn Church
MONTEREY COUNTY—Two candidates are vying for the District 2 seat on the Monterey County Board of Supervisors, an area that encompasses North Monterey County and parts of North Salinas, including the communities of Aromas, Castroville, Pajaro, Moss Landing, Prunedale, Royal Oaks, Las Lomas and...
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A community united: cleanup day draws hundreds

Hundreds of people gathered Saturday morning on beaches, in neighborhoods and along riverways to participate in the second-annual Pitch In All Santa Cruz Cleanup...